Along the SEASHORE of NEW ENGLAND C 1690 STUART CUFFLINKS...

[Whydah]

As most of you know me from the Surf Forum... I haven't been posting because of not much in the way of erosion here in Mass... so I have done what everyone else has done... Went to the fields.. Glad I did... about a month or so ago, I had the opportunity to do some field hunting... Went to an area that dates back to the early Colonial Days... got a few Indian Head Pennies and a Conn. Copper that is just perfect.... and these CUFFLINKS...They are Sterling and VERY RARE.. Although I have seen only one other pair here on the net, and have met the man that found them. He was very informative of my pair......His were found in RI...Mine were found from an area that the PILGRIMS lived, and harvested their fields..Can't even tell you the feeling I had when I found out what exactly I had when I got back to the truck...These were found about 13 inches deep. They are very rare and don't come around very often... Place of Creation,Object Place, England or America, Height x width x depth: 1.2 x 1.2 x 0.9 cm (1/2 x 1/2 x 3/8 in.) Sterling Silver, Quartz, 24 K Gold, and Textile... This is 1/2 pair of square Sterling Silver and quartz cuff links, each composed to two ornamental buttons connected by a figure eight silver link. Underneath the faceted crystal is a fine gold twisted cord or wire with a trefoil design covering a small square of dark woven textile mounted on foil which has been painted light Blue. All I can say is you just NEVER know what your going to find...Keep digging...

 

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[Iron Patch]

I have a few nice ones, unfortunately none linked but they are all the same design. It's true, they are not posted often. I found each single all at different sites.

These are the design on mine.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RARE-1680S...-/400547510528

 

[WheatWaffle]

Nice finds!

 

[Carolina Tom]

Very nice finds. The cuff links are really nice! GL&HH.

 

[Silver Tree Chaser]

Whydah:

Congrats on the Stuart Crystal cufflinks. Yes - you certainly don't find those every day!

Here are some images and info on Crystal Stuart jewelry, cufflinks, etc. in the provided links. The example from the Boston Museum of Fine Arts is quite nice.

Good Hunting!


Stuart Crystals - Antique Jewelry University

http://http://www.mfa.org/collections/object/pair-of-stuart-crystal-cuff-links-115142

 

[Whydah]

awesome and thanks for the info...I will be at the meeting next Friday can you bring a copy for me? Thank You in advance

 

[Ahab8]

Damn those are nice! Cufflinks are not easy to find.... Especially beauties like that . Congrats

 

[BuckleBoy]

Those are some beautiful cufflinks.

I'm jealous--and I don't get jealous easily.

 

[pepperj]

Very nice indeed the rarity of the set is right up there.

 

[cjon455]

Very nice cufflunks, sadly I've only ever found 1 pair intact at a cornfield and they were just plated with all the plating worn off

 

[CRUSADER]

We have had a few 17th C cufflinks of this period posted, but not of this type & quality.

Funny enough I had a yellow glass single button find yesterday:
http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/today-s-finds/439032-2-sites.html

Great to have it complete & it looks to have a story as well. Notice the old repair on the reverse where a loop has broken off. Clearly they were able to find the lost piece & solder it back on. Very nice.

 

[g-olden years]

Magnificent! Wonderful pics of splendid cufflinks! Maybe someday the other one will emerge nearby. Your description of your hunt, history of the area, the items dug, their age & rarity equals BANNER in my book, so I'm voting banner on this one! Have Fun! Andi

 

[Kirk PA]

Wonderful pair of Colonial cufflinks. Lovely.

Kirk

 

[jewelerguy]

great cuff links. makes me wonder how many people with a detector have found things like that and never knew anything about them or how old they are

 

[Zodiacdiverdave]

Those links are aff the charts. congrats to you and I hope you can find a mate to it in that field, wouldn't that be something. I would call that a good hunt.
ZDD

 

[Bill D. (VA)]

Nice going on those impressive cufflinks. We never seem to find a connected pair down this way.

 

[Greylock]

Those cuffs are very impressive and to get them still connected is great to see. I love how they've held up over time.

 

[Msbeepbeep]

Awesome find! In great shape too! Banner in my book!

 

[Whydah]

Thank All of you who think that these should be on the BANNER...thanks for the votes...

 

[Whydah]

Stuart crystals are a form of 17th and 18th century mourning jewelry. Stuart crystals get their names from the House of Stuart. The crystals were pieces of political jewelry that commemorate the execution of King Charles I in 1649. The first jewels were made from locks of King Charles’ hair preserved under faceted rock crystal (quartz), often decorated with his initials or miniature portrait. They were worn by Royalists who opposed the king’s execution on the grounds that as God’s chosen leader, Charles I was above the law and his death was not justice, but murder. Later, the crystals were adopted by Jacobites who opposed the deposition of James II and the Stuart monarchy in 1688. Since supporting fallen monarchs was dangerous, many Stuart crystals are small and were worn in secret. However, as the 17th century continued, Stuart crystals evolved into mementos mori and generalized commemorative jewelry. They remained popular into the 18th century until larger, more neoclassical jewelry came into fashion.
Description
Stuart crystals come in three main forms: slides, rings, and earrings. Original Stuart crystals were rings or ribbon slides, but many were later converted into other types of jewelry. Stuart crystals almost always contain hair, often woven so finely it appears like cloth.

In addition to hair, a Stuart crystal may contain gold initials, filigree designs, colored foil, portrait miniatures, and enameled symbols. Skeletons, skulls, doves, angels, cherubs or putti, and flowers are the most common type of symbolic charms found inside Stuart crystals